93. Mysticism. part one

I feel that I should tell what I have so for learnt about mysticism, in the final blog of this book, after travelling on this toad for thirteen and a half years. It has to be an interim report, subject to revision. I have not crossed any important landmark, as outlined by other accomplished seekers, and I have not travelled long enough. Great Qalander told my brother that he came in that area fifty-fifty-five years ago. But still I have made some gains, which entitles me to say something. I will write more about my struggle in Foreword. Here I want to talk not about myself but about the subject matter.

I have arrived at some conclusions;

1. Nobody travels on the road to God-realization (or spirituality, or mysticism, or Sufism or tareekat, or real Yoga for God-union) without God’s prior approval. In other words everybody is pre-selected. In blog 8, my categorization was wrong. Still there are 2 groups, so the grouping in blog 8 is correct. But the grouping should be based on age; those who are pious in youth and even childhood, and those who come later in life.

Jesus Christ said “many are called, few are chosen”

Who is called? Those who have a receiver in their soul. Just as a radio or a television set has a receiver which catches the waves in the atmosphere, some people have a receiver but vast majority does not.

The call comes many times in such person’s life, but it bears fruit only when the soul is ready, otherwise, person just ignores it... It may bear fruit in childhood, or in middle age or even in old age. Therefore the classification should be:

               1) People with very powerful receiver. Born yogis and fakirs, such as almost all the mystics that I have written in my two books with the possible exception of Mr. Shevani.

               2) People with ordinary receiver. These people often turn to this path in their fifties or there about, when passions cool off.

               3) People with no receiver. Rest of humanity

I have written in great detail about this early process, and subsequent stages in blog, 8, 25, 33-38, therefore there is no need of repeating it.

2. Those who are content with their life will not go on this path. This includes the ordinary religious, devoutly religious, secular humanist, and ordinary worldly people. Only people who are discontent and unhappy with their inner life turn to mysticism. Those who have hunger in their soul, restlessness in their heart, void in their beings, look and search for something more.

Take the example of devoutly religious. One may think that since they follow religious tenets so much they would have great love for God, and thus more prone to mysticism, sine mysticism aims at closeness to God. Religious tenets are nothing but duties to God and fellow human beings

You will be farthest from truth. Often the devoutly religious are so extreme in their views and so narrow minded that it borders upon fanaticism. First they are completely sure that their religion is the best, so what is the need to go to second best. Secondly, they are completely certain that the instructions given in their religion are comprehensive, why to add something more such as meditation, which is anyway a Hindu concept. Thirdly, they have heard that the practice of mysticism requires isolation from society, chastity, etc, which are often forbidden not only in their religion, but are against common sense. If every body starts sitting isolated in caves and houses, how can the society function? Who will earn the living? How will procreation proceed ?

               As for others, they don’t particularly care about God. As my two friends ( one religious and the other atheist ) remarked “ I am not particularly keen to meet God any earlier than I have to” and the religious one added “ I don’t want to think of Him now, I will be with Him, after death, for whole of eternity”

3. What is the purpose of mysticism?  In the opinion of this mote there are several purposes:

               A). To prove that there is a God. Read blog 92 again, Paul Brunton who initially was a disbeliever became a believer. People who watch these mystics closely, get convinced that there is God. They sometimes see supernatural events from them. Furthermore, these sages never tell a lie, therefore if these sages say that there is God, and they have personally seen or felt God, then there must be God. Sri Ramakrishna used to tell a story of a little boy who had never seen his father, but loved him dearly. When asked why does he love his father when he had never even seen him. The little boy replied “ but my mother has seen him “

               b)  To have direct access to God or His representatives, for those who want it. The fire of God brought originally by prophets becomes dim after passage of time. Rituals replace the message. Adaptability, a requirement for any system to remain efficient over time ( telephone, radio, cars, airplanes, etc; to name a few ) is prohibited.

This system allows direct access to the Source, the God. These sages bring the fire again and again to humanity, though not on such a large scale as prophets.

Great Qalander said as much to my brother “ such people are present in all religions, in all areas, and in all times”

These mystics do not bring any new knowledge. They do not bring new guidelines or formulas. There message is the same: Be good to others, love God with all your power, conquer your desires, know your Self 

               c)  These mystics spread the message, they have personally learnt, by daily talk to the visitors, through books, through disciples

               d) They have a healing power emanating from their body, which spreads peace and tranquility around them ( Brunton noted it from Maharishee ). In old times, when medicines were not readily available, these sages taught spiritual practices for common maladies such as headache, backache, scorpion bite, snake bite, etc.

               e) The great adepts have all proclaimed, that once one has realized Self, it becomes an infallible guide to one’s problems. When Brother Lawrence was entrusted to buy wine for the monastery, he was not fearful at all. He told God (Self ) “it is Your problem”

 

To be continued